Here Standing
by mcflyXlove
Summary: Series of one-shots, two-shots, and possibly three-shots.
1. Here Standing Part 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Degrassi, or Here Standing by The Saturdays**.

**Author's Note: I woke up with this song in my head, and when I listened to it I realized it was a perfect Eclare song. This is my first Eclare story, so I hope you guys like it :)**

_I've waited a lifetime to feel the way that I feel now_

_But I never imagined, feels like walking on the clouds_

_You're the reason I'm here_

_I'm not moving_

_I'm not leaving_

_Can't believe that you're the reason that I'm standing right here_

_I'm not moving_

_Finally breathing_

_Can't you see you're the reason that I'm standing right here_

Clare. Just her name makes me feel like I've taken a deep breath of fresh air after being underwater for way too long. I've never felt this way, not even with Julia. Sure, I cared about Julia, but now I don't even think it came anywhere close to what I feel for Clare. She makes me want to be better and do better. Half of the things I do with and for her, I would never have even thought of doing before I met her. But that's just what Clare does to me...

_You drained me of sadness and filled me back up with love_

_No room left for the madness that once my world was made up of_

_You're the reason I'm here_

_I'm not moving_

_I'm not leaving_

_Can't believe you're the reason that I'm standing right here_

_I'm not moving_

_Finally breathing_

_Can't you see you're the reason that I'm standing right here_

When Julia died, I was a wreck. I never thought that my life would be even a fraction of what it was before. I thought I would forever feel like my heart was going through a wood chipper and that there was a veil of sadness always upon me. I even felt that the brief bouts of insanity would be something to randomly pop up for the rest of my days. I hardly remember half the things I would do when this insanity and madness took over, but I'm incredibly glad that I don't have to suffer through it anymore.. And it's all because of Clare. She saved me from myself, and she doesn't even know it.

_Standing up for what I believe_

_The reason I'm here_

_Being the best that you help me be_

_I promise that I will not let you down_

_After all,_

_You're the reason that I'm here standing_

_Oh_

_Yeah_

Clare is my soul mate. I've never believed anything more than I believe that, but there are some people that don't see things that way. Her parents, for one, can't stand me, and most of the people at school couldn't believe that Clare was dating me, The Crazy One. But I've set them straight. I told her parents that we are meant to be together, soul mates, and that they should see that more than anybody since that's one of the things they keep claiming that God does. They haven't really said anything against me since then. And when I heard the kids at school whispering, once again, wondering how Clare can stand to talk to me, I simply told them that she got to know the real me, which is one step above anything they've ever done. I don't get into physical fights anymore, since I promised Clare I wouldn't, but I do still get in fights. Only this time I'm getting in fights about something more important than anything else.. Our love. I've promised Clare a lot of things, and I've never broken any of my promises to her, because I never want to let her down. Ever.

_You're the reason I'm here_

_I'm not moving_

_I'm not leaving_

_Can't believe you're the reason that I'm standing right here_

_I'm not moving_

_Finally breathing_

_Can't you see you're the reason that I'm standing_

_You're the reason I'm here_

_I'm not moving_

_I'm not leaving_

_Can't believe you're the reason that I'm standing right here_

_I'm not moving_

_Finally breathing_

_Can't you see you're the reason that I'm standing right here_

You may be wondering why I'm telling you all this. Well, today is Clare and I's two year anniversary. I plan to tell her everything that I've told you, and when I get down on one knee and ask 'Will you marry me?" I hope she says yes. After all, she is the reason that I'm even still standing here today.


	2. Here Standing Part 2

1**Disclaimer: I don't own Degrassi or It's Your Love by Faith Hill and Tim McGraw.**

**Author's Note: Since you guys asked, I will write more. I might even possibly make this a series of one-shots, two-shots, and maybe even three-shots if you'd like that :)**

_Clare's POV_

Two years. I have been dating Elijah Goldsworthy for two years today. It's amazing how fast time goes by when you're enjoying every moment of it. Sure, we've had some tough moments, I'm not going to say we haven't, but we've always made it through.

I've just arrived at the spot that Eli told me to be at for our anniversary surprise, and it's definitely a surprise. Laid out before me in the middle of the park is a blanket and a picnic basket with a dozen candles and an ipod docking station, but I can't even focus on that because Eli is standing next to it looking as handsome as ever. I start to make my way over to him, but before I can make it he leans down and presses play on the ipod. Tears immediately spring to my eyes. It's Your Love by Faith Hill and Tim McGraw is playing loudly into the empty park, and he holds out his hand to me."May I have this dance?" he smirks. I step up to him and we start swaying to the music, but what shocks me even more and makes the tears spill over is when he actually starts singing the words to me. His voice is incredible, and the passion I can hear in his voice matches the song perfectly.

_Dancin' in the dark middle of the night_

_Takin' your heart and holdin' it tight_

_Emotional touch touchin' my skin_

_And asking you to do what you've been doin' all over again_

_Oh it's a beautiful thing don't think I can keep it all in_

_I just gotta let you know what it is that won't let me go_

_It's your love_

_It just does something to me_

_It sends a shock right through me_

_I can't get enough_

_And if you wonder_

_About the spell I'm under_

_Oh it's your love _

_Better than I was, more than I am_

_And all of this happened by taking your hand_

_And who I am now is who I wanted to be_

_And now that we're together,_

_I'm stronger than ever_

_I'm happy and free_

_Oh it's a beautiful thing,_

_Don't think I can keep it all in_

_If you asked me why I've changed,_

_All I gotta do is say your sweet name_

_It's your love_

_It just does something to me_

_It sends a shock right through me_

_I can't get enough_

_And if you wonder_

_About the spell I'm under_

_Oh, it's your love_

_Baby, Oh oh, oh,_

_Oh it's a beautiful thing,_

_Don't think I can keep it all in_

_I just gotta let you konw what it is that won't let me go_

_It's your love_

_It just does something to me_

_It sends a shock right through me_

_I can't get enough_

_And if you wonder_

_About the spell I'm under,_

_Oh it's your love_

_It's your love, it's your love, it's your love _

By the time the song is over, there are streams of tears running down my face.

"What's wrong, Clare?" He asks, wiping the tears away with his finger.

"Nothing," I sniff, "it's just, no one's ever done anything like this for me. And I didn't expect you to play one of my favorite songs, let alone sing it to me. You hate country music. Why'd you do that?" He looks back at me with a serious expression on his face and simply answers "because _you_ love it."I fling my arms around his neck and let a few more tears escape. He kisses the top of my head, the leans back slightly.

"Let's eat, shall we. I don't want it to get cold." Eli grabs my hand in his, and leads me over to the picnic he has set up. I sit down across from him on the checkered blanket, and watch as he pulls out all of my favorite foods. Did I mention he's the best boyfriend ever? We sit and reminisce over memories of the past two years while we eat, and when we're finished, Eli presses play on the ipod again and more love songs just start pouring out. I'm starting to wonder if he made a playlist just for this occasion. We dance some more under the stars, laughing kissing and talking, and then he leads me back to the blanket. He pulls another, slightly bigger box out of the picnic basket and gets behind me on his knees to cover my eyes. I giggle slightly.

"Eli, what's going on?" He leans forward and puts his mouth right by my ear. "Just keep your eyes closed, please?" I nod and he drops his hands from my eyes and I hear him rustling around before he tells me to open my eyes. I open them and gasp loudly. Before me is a cake with what looks to be a miniature me and a miniature Eli. The miniature me is sitting down on a checkered blanket and the miniature Eli is kneeled in front of me with a diamond ring in his hand. The writing on the cake says "Will you marry me, Clare Edwards?" I look up for Eli and he's in front of me, down on one knee with a ring in his hand, just like on the cake. I gasp again.

"Yes, God yes!" I throw myself into his embrace, and he holds me back just as fiercely. He pulls back, kisses me, and slips the ring on my finger, but not before I notice the tears in his eyes, too.

"This is amazing, Eli. The best night of my life. How did you pull it off?" He just shrugs and says "I guess your love just does something to me" before kissing me lightly on the lips.


	3. Me and God Love Her

1Disclaimer: I don't own Degrassi or God Love Her by Toby Keith

Author's Note: **This one-shot has nothing to do with the two-shot previously posted.** This is such an Eclare song [except for the southern references, and obviously it would be a hearse, not a motorcycle ;) ]

_Just a girl born in Dixie, washed in the blood_

_And raised on the banks of the Mississippi mud_

_She always had a thing about fallin' in love with a bad boy_

_Yeah, they could see it all comin' but her daddy never dreamed_

_She'd grow up that fast, you know what I mean_

_The way a girl gets when she turns seventeen, kinda crazy_

_She's a rebel child and a preacher's daughter_

_She was baptized in dirty water_

_Her mama cried the first time they caught her with me_

_They knew they couldn't stop her_

_She holds tight, me and the Bible_

_On the back seat of my motorcycle_

_Left her daddy standin' there preachin' to the choir, you see_

_God love her_

_Oh, me and God love her!_

Clare had always been a good little Christian girl, everyone knows that, but that was before she met me. To say I'm the opposite of a Christian would be an understatement, not that I worship the devil or anything, because I don't. I didn't corrupt her either, if that's what you're thinking. I just bring out another side of her... a wilder side. From the first moment I met her, I knew I was her type. Girls like her always secretly like the bad boys, and how right was I? Sometimes I still think her dad saw her as his little girl back then, but she definitely wasn't a little girl anymore, if you know what I mean. I heard stories of when Clare was younger, of how she was already such a little rebel. I can say I definitely increased her rebellious side.

I can still remember the first time I met her parents like it was yesterday. Clare and I were kissing quite feverishly in the back of my hearse, which was parked outside her house, when we heard a frantic knocking on the door. We hopped out when we saw it was her parents. I'm guessing that the hearse was bad enough, but it didn't help seeing the state her daughter was in when she got out of the car or how the boy she was kissing was dressed since this all caused her mother to burst into tears. Regardless of her mother's tears, she grabbed my hand and stated that she loved me and there was nothing they could do about it. They knew they were defeated, so one day Clare and I packed up and decided to travel. Just us and trusty ole' Morty.

_She kissed her mama goodbye, said I'll be sure 'n phone ya_

_She called her from a truck stop in Tucson Arizona_

_With Amazing Grace, we made California line_

_And then my gypsy life started takin' its toll_

_And the fast lane got empty and out of control_

_And just like an angel she saved my soul from the devil_

_Yeah, she's a rebel child and a preacher's daughter_

_She was baptized in dirty water_

_Her mama cried the first time they caught her with me_

_They knew they couldn't stop her_

_She holds tight, me and the Bible_

_On the back seat of my motorcycle_

_Left her daddy standin' there, preachin' to the choir, you see_

_God love her_

_Oh, me and God love her!_

We left with promises to call her parents every now and then, and she eventually called them when we were in Arizona, almost to out destination.. California. I started hanging with a bad crowd when we got there. People who claimed partying was their job, some up and coming celeb types. I never got into the hard stuff... just some alcohol and weed. One night I was half passed out in our hotel room on the bed, when Clare came in and threw a bible onto my chest. She told me that I didn't need all that stuff, that those guys were only doing it because their lives were empty and meaningless, and that mine wasn't, but it was going to be if I didn't shape up. She ended up reading me some scriptures, and I knew that she had just saved me from going even more downhill. I used to just be the typical bad boy that was all about attitude and appearances, but an angel named Clare Edwards has shown me that there are things much more important than all of that, like love and living life to the fullest. She's definitely saved my soul, and for that, Me and God love her!


	4. Under The Stars

**Disclaimer: I don't own Degrassi!**

**Author's Note: Thanks everyone for the story alerts and favorites. And even author favorites. Wow! I never expected that! And I'm sorry this took so long. Hope you enjoy it. This is what I could have imagined happening in the little hammock scene ;)**

Lying here with Eli under the stars in a hammock surrounded by dozens of people I hardly knew was something I never imagined that I would be doing, but I was enjoying it. I was more at peace than I had been for a while. A slow song was playing in the background, and I could feel Eli's heart beating steadily under my head. Everything was perfect.

"The stars are so pretty." I felt eli's hum of agreement.

"Not as pretty as you." He mumbled. I don't know if it was the laziness and contentment of the moment that made that slip out, or if he actually meant for me to hear it, but I turned my head up and smiled at him anyway. He smirked back at me.

"I'm really glad Adam came up with this idea. It's just what I've needed after everything that's been going on lately."

"Yeah, me too." Eli shifted us so we were laying with our faces mere inches apart. "And I know I say this a lot, but thanks for being there for me. It's way easier throwing stuff out with you there." I smiled and grabbed his hand, rubbing the back lightly with my thumb.

"It's no problem. I wouldn't be there if I didn't want to be. I care about you, so anything to make it easier." He smirked and brought his hand to the side of my neck before rubbing my jawline with his thumb. He brought my face closer to his for a mind-numbing kiss (which they all are with Eli, really.)

We pulled apart after a few minutes, and Eli pressed his forehead against mine.

We rolled back into our previous positions, Eli on his back with my head on his chest, and it was silent for a few moments, before Eli spoke again.

"Would it be cheesy right now if I said I love you?" My breath caught in my throat. We had never said that to each other before, and I wasn't even sure if Eli even felt that. I thought it would take a while until he was ready to say it. I looked up at him and smirked.

"I think it would be pretty perfect." He didn't smirk back. He had the most serious look on his face that I've ever seen.

"Ok. I love you, Clare. I'm _in love_ with you." My heart started pounding.

"Are you sure? You don't have to say that yet, you know."

"I know, but I mean it. I've never been more sure of anything. You're amazing, and I don't know what I'd do without you."

"I love you too, Eli. So much." We kissed again, under the stars, and my night turned out even more perfect than I could have ever imagined.


End file.
